Continuously variable transmission

• US 8,852,050 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2013
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fallbrook Intellectual Property Company LLC (Fallbrook Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Fallbrook Intellectual Property Company LLC (Fallbrook Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Thomassy, Fernand A
• Primary Examiner(s): FENSTERMACHER, DAVID MORGAN
• Application Number:
  US13/924,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20130288844A1
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 476/40, 476/41, 476/42, 476/43, 476/44, 476/46, 476/10
• US Class Current: 476/40
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 15/28 with external friction surface
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 15/503 in which two members co-operate by means of balls or rollers of uniform effective diameter, not mounted on shafts
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 15/52 in which a member of uniform effective diameter mounted on a shaft may co-operate with different parts of another member
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 55/32 Friction members
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49464 Assembling of gear into force transmitting device

Abstract

Components, subassemblies, systems, and/or methods for continuously variable transmissions (CVT) having a control system adapted to facilitate a change in the ratio of a CVT are provided. In one embodiment, a control system includes a stator plate configured to have a plurality of radially offset slots. Various traction planet assemblies and stator plates can be used to facilitate shifting the ratio of a CVT. In some embodiments, the traction planet assemblies include planet axles configured to cooperate with the stator plate. In one embodiment, the stator plate is configured to rotate and apply a skew condition to each of the planet axles. In some embodiments, a stator driver is operably coupled to the stator plate. Embodiments of a traction sun are adapted to cooperate with other components of the CVT to support operation and/or functionality of the CVT.

Claims

1. A method of supporting a plurality of spherical traction planets of a continuously variable transmission (CVT), each spherical traction planet having a tiltable axis of rotation, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a first stator plate having a plurality of radially offset slots and a substantially disc shaped body, the first stator plate having a center arranged coaxially with and perpendicular to a main drive axis of the CVT, the radially offset slots arranged angularly about the center of the first stator plate;

operably coupling each of the spherical traction planets to the first stator plate;

providing a second stator plate having a plurality of radial slots, the radial slots arranged angularly about a center of the second stator plate; and

operably coupling the spherical traction planets to the second stator plate.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising rotating the first stator plate relative to the second stator plate.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first stator plate is substantially non-rotatable about the main drive axis of the CVT.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the second stator plate is substantially non-rotatable about the main drive axis of the CVT.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising locating a shift stop extension on the first stator plate, the shift stop extension arranged about the center of the first stator plate.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising locating the shift stop extension radially inward of the radially offset slots.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising locating the shift stop extension radially outward of the radially offset slots.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming the plurality of radially offset slots to have a curved profile.